Sharpe: Breaking bad habits

Key Takeaways:

• Habits formed over time can have a lasting impact on our lives.
• Recognizing that habits can be both positive and negative is crucial.
• Changing habits is achievable through identification, simple planning, and repetition.
• Overcoming overwhelm by taking manageable steps aids in self-improvement.
• Continuous learning and growth are essential in breaking bad habits.

Breaking Bad Habits: A Playbook for Personal Change

When I step onto the volleyball court now, more than 25 years after finishing my competitive college career, something magical happens. Despite my height seeming to shrink and my less-flexible body moving slower, there are natural patterns I follow—motions my arms, legs, and torso go through instinctively as I move on the court.

The Lasting Impact of Habits

Deep in my subconscious, there are learned habits and patterns of motor learning that are permanently etched in my brain. I didn’t have the long, specialized athletic career that young athletes today follow, so these ingrained muscle memories were acquired over just a few years. Yet they are still present today. It’s fascinating and a little frightening how enduring these habits can be.

The Dual Nature of Habits

Often, the word “habit” evokes a negative sentiment. We hear repeated warnings like “Don’t develop a bad habit” or excuses such as “I’ve got this bad habit.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “habit” in multiple ways, mostly centering around our behaviors. Recognizing that habits can be both positive and negative is crucial to our personal development.

Coaching and Cultivating Good Habits

Today, volleyball coaches work diligently to establish good habits with young athletes. We teach proper techniques on the court, taking care of our bodies off the court, and developing personality traits that will set all of us up for success in sport and life. This mission, while driving all that we do, is probably not emphasized enough with our young charges. Of course, the message may not be fully appreciated by their generation. At their age, while focused on short- and long-term goals, I certainly wasn’t grasping the really big picture.

Applying Habit Awareness Beyond Sports

Now older and wiser, I understand that the importance of habits applies to much more than sports. There’s an entire genre of self-improvement that deals with the topic and how it applies to our personal and professional adult lives. Books, seminars, and courses tell us about the significance of our habits and offer remedies when they’re not right. It’s an overwhelming amount to absorb, and while I believe we are all capable of change, the information overload can be counterproductive.

Practical Steps to Change Habits

I firmly believe that we are all capable of making changes to our habits. We have the ability to identify something that needs to be changed, create an action plan, and train ourselves to develop a new behavior pattern. It’s a strategy that works in life just like in sports—we just need to manage it with baby steps.

Identify the Problem

First, identify the problem. Is there something that comes up repeatedly in your work or personal life that’s holding you back? Some bad habits are negative thoughts; others are our actions.

Determine Simple Solutions

Second, determine steps you can take to fix the problem. Keep the solution simple and achievable. For example, if you’re routinely running late, build more time into your schedule to prepare. Overestimate how long you need to get ready and enjoy the extra time when you are early.

Repetition Is Key

Third, repetition. Run through your plan over and over until you have mastered the process, and it will become habit. If you’re prone to doomsday thinking, practice repeating positive affirmations—sticky notes where you will see them, reminders on your phone—ways to break free from the downward spiral of negative thoughts.

The Challenge and Reward of Habit Change

The process of changing habits isn’t easy, especially with years of practice doing it the wrong way. Don’t get caught up in trying to fix everything at once! By taking the time to understand our weaknesses and then working on them one by one with reinforcing actions that are doable, we can successfully retrain ourselves.

Never Stop Learning

Let’s break our bad habits with a commitment to never stop learning, growing, or reaching for new success.